Today’s political headlines include Labour’s plans to compromise on Brexit votes, Umunna named spokesperson of the Independent Group and NHS to scrap A&E target.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
Labour moves towards Brexit referendum compromise plan Independent Group makes Umunna spokesperson NHS to scrap A & E four hour target Tory Brexiteers prepared to back deal if May announces plan to quit Eustice quits over Brexit extension Salary increase for MPs sparks outrage Grayling\u2019s probation reforms criticised Fox criticised over expensive \u2018vanity project\u2019 podcast
\n<\/strong>The Guardian\u00a0<\/em>says<\/a>\u00a0that the Labour Party is \u2018moving towards a compromise plan\u2019 under which it would abstain on Theresa May\u2019s Brexit deal, allowing it to pass through Parliament, but would back an amendment put forward by Peter Kyle and Phil Wilson \u2018withholding support\u2019 from the deal until it had been voted on by the public. Kyle claims to have \u2018every reason to believe\u2019 that Parliament will vote for his proposal.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The BBC\u00a0reports<\/a>\u00a0that the Independent Group of MPs has appointed Chukka Umunna as its lead spokesperson, while Sarah Wollaston has been given responsibility for \u2018new colleagues\u2019. Each member of the group has been allocated a group of policy areas on which they will lead. Umunna said that these drew on \u2018the talents and experiences of our group\u2019.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The Times\u00a0<\/em>says<\/a>\u00a0that NHS England wishes to axe the target for hospitals to treat A&E patients within four hours because it leads to the system being gamed, rather than the best care being provided. New targets, focused on those requiring a hospital bed rather than those with minor injuries, will be piloted in the spring.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>According<\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0The Sun<\/em>, Brexiteer MPs have told the Prime Minister that they will support her deal, even if she only gets minor amendments to it, so long as she outlines a timetable for her departure as Prime Minister this year. This would allow her successor to negotiate the future trade deal with the EU.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The Times\u00a0<\/em>reports<\/a>\u00a0that Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Minister George Eustice resigned yesterday, citing the Government\u2019s \u2018series of rather undignified retreats\u2019 over Brexit. According to the paper, he criticised the Prime Minister\u2019s decision to seek an extension to Brexit negotiations at a meeting she held with 16 Brexiteer ministers the night before.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The\u00a0Daily Mail\u00a0<\/em>claims<\/a>\u00a0that a decision to increase MPs\u2019 salary by 2.7% sparked \u2018fury\u2019. The announcement by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has been criticised for outstripping increases for parliamentary staffers and civil servants, while Leave campaigner John Longworth said there should be no rise until Brexit had been \u2018sorted out\u2019.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The Daily Telegraph\u00a0<\/em>carries details<\/a>\u00a0of a \u2018damning report\u2019 by the National Audit Office on probation reforms introduced by Chris Grayling while he was Justice Secretary. According to the report, the number of offenders returned to prison for breaching their licence conditions has increased by 47% while a plan to end contracts early will cost an extra \u00a3467m.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The\u00a0Daily Mirror\u00a0<\/em>reports<\/a>\u00a0that International Trade Secretary Liam Fox has spent over \u00a3100,000 on a podcast series hosted by Nick Hewer which was designed to encourage firms to export their goods, but just 8,398 people have listened to it, with each listener therefore costing the taxpayer \u00a312.70. Lib Dem MP Layla Moran called the podcast a \u2018vanity project\u2019.<\/p>\n